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In Flannery O’Connor’s “The Lame Shall Enter First,” Sheppard has a powerful desire to help others to mask his sorrow. Sheppard then tries to get his son Norton to also take this approach to get pass his mother’s death. Eventually Sheppard ends up calling Norton “selfish” because he does not want to take on this act. Sheppard calls him this so he does not have to think of the death of his wife. However, he also does this because he wants Norton to turn out to be the best person he can be. This then posses the question does this situation perceive Sheppard as good or bad? Sheppard is disappointed in his son Norton because he feels as though he is selfish.
“He had never noticed then that his son was selfish” (145).
When Sheppard wonders
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Sheppard met a boy named Rufus, and automatically knew he had to help him. Rufus had extreme potential but no one to help him reach it. Sheppard had full confidence in himself that he could get Rufus to exceed his potential. Eventually Sheppard began to compare Rufus and Norton. He began to think that Norton was ungrateful for everything he had in life. Unlike Rufus where he hardly had anything, so he was happy to get a leftover piece of pizza from the dumpster. Sheppard first calls Norton “selfish” when he refuses to take food out to Rufus in the morning while he is actually digging from a dumpster. This makes Sheppard mad because Norton will not take the method that he wants him to take. He does not completely understand why Norton is acting like this because he cannot fully remember if he was like this while his wife was alive. This makes him even more confused and make his mind wonder only for a slight second. Then he completely shut the thought down and moves on with his day. Consciously Sheppard thought he was doing everything right. He was moving on from the death of his wife and trying his best to take care of their …show more content…
There are good qualities and bad qualities. This situation makes Sheppard seem good because he is trying to be brave for his son by putting up a front that everything is alright. He wants his son to be the best person he can be, which is why he wants Norton to help others and is why he want Norton to give Rufus his breakfast because Sheppard knows Rufus barely ever actually gets to eat breakfast. This shows how much Sheppard truly does care for Norton and how he tries to be there for him and tries to be a good father, yet he really does not know how to be there for him. Over all in general helping other is also a good thing to do and can help someone gain good morals and values. Which is another thing Sheppard wanted for his son even though he might not have shown it in that way. He tried to show his love in the best way he knew how to which was trying to get Norton over his mother’s death and get him back into his normal life. Even though it may not seem like Sheppard was the best father ever he still tried his best which makes him a good father. However, this makes Sheppard seem bad because he is not allowing his son to mourn the death of his mother. Sheppard believes Norton should already be over her death and should have moved on already, just as Sheppard has done. This shows how all that Sheppard wants from Norton is for him to be just like Sheppard. I believe this
He demonstrates his aunt’s willingness to help writing: “‘I know that things are bad between you and your mom right now, and I just want you to know that I am on your side.’” Her generosity made a great impression on Andrews. He extends this thought further when he writes “‘And in the meantime, if you ever need to get away, my house is always open to you. And to Darian, too.’” The trust his aunt placed in him influenced him hugely in his life. He continues to impress this point recording: “I was grateful but shocked. She and Mom were really close, and for Susan to go behind Mom’s back like that was huge.” He used emotional change in order to exhibit how moved he was by the support he received from his family members even if it was only one ally who was on his side from the start. This abundant amount of assistance from his aunt causes the audience to empathize by relating personal experiences from their own families to the
Take Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, for example. Although he had no desire to be in Vietnam, not to mention be leading troops there, it is evident that he is selfless in the pursuit of the war, and genuinely concerned about the welfare of his men. Unfortunately, he is blinded by guilt to these qualities.
According to Ellen Douglas, the "evil in human hearts, and the possibility of grace, the gift of love, are made terrifyingly and magnificently real" when the grandmother, at gunpoint, admits that The Misfit really is, in her standards, a good man at heart (381). He is better able to express his beliefs about religion, but she has no firm foundation. When he says, "She would [have] been a good woman, if there had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life," he is revealing the fact that her pride, instead of her faith, has carried her through life (O'Connor, "A Good Man" 392). She has merely acted out the life of a typical Southern lady of he...
In the story, the grandmother frequently divides herself and others primarily between ‘good’ and ‘bad’. This divide is rigid, yet arbitrary at the same time. Every person is, in the grandmother’s mind, either ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but the grandmother’s idea of ‘good’ does not seem to have much to do with conventional ideas of good and evil.. A main example of this is her conversation with Red Sam. The grandma immediately takes a liking to Red Sam and calls him a “good man”, but this is mainly due to him appealing to her conservative nature. During their conversation, Red Sam says, “Everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more” (856). Red Sam is saying exactly what the grandmother has been thinking previously in the book. They both think the world has gone wrong and believe that the past was better. The implication of this argument is that there are ‘bad’ people who have made the world go wrong, but those who agree with Red Sam and the grandmother are ‘good’. O’Connor is trying to expose the inconsistency and haphazardness of the
"[W]hen thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth" counsels the Bible, thus setting the precedent for all well-meaning members of western society concerning their charitable intentions (Matt. 6.3). Humanity's motivation to aid others, regardless of the outcome, is oft times spotted by the subtle struggle between selflessness and selfishness. Flannery O'Connor captures this classic conflict between good and evil in Southern Grotesque fashion through her characters, the protagonist Sheppard and his foil, Rufus Johnson, in [comment2] "The Lame Shall Enter First".[comment3] Challenging the literal paradigm of light and darkness, O'Connor weaves together well crafted characterization, cryptic dialogue, and both biblical and literary allusion in this paradoxical plot and, by way of Sheppard and the antithetical Rufus, blends the black and white of Christian dogma into an ironic grey.
Horner states " throughout gender history, men have been pressured to react to deadly crisis according to the sacred rules of a male honor code. From Odysseus to King Arthur, from Ulysses to George Washington and from Aeneas to Norman Schwarzkopf, clearly the most widely accepted values of integrity, dignity, respect, self respect, valor and thus unquestioned masculinity hinge upon a commissioned response to fear and duty." (Horner, 1999) Tim Obrien shows that the classic battle of good versus evil. Lieutenant Cross's desires of Martha created an illusion that caused him to focus on himself, instead of his troops. The central tension comes between his imaginary love affair and the real responsibilities he has as the officer in command. He bypassed all his responsibilities, for his
... find his mother. Although Rufus is well taken care of, he consistently is accused of robbery; however, the Sheppard gives him an alibi for each crime. At the end, after consecutive accusations and the personal realization that he is “evil” and will go to Hell, Rufus is arrested with no firm alibi provided from the Sheppard. When he returns home, the Sheppard discovers that his son has committed suicide in order to become closer to his mother, the absent, yet involved parent within Norton’s life.
Culture Centers in Higher Education: Perspectives on Identity, Theory, and Practice is a powerful and enlightening book by Lori D. Patton. Patton is a higher education scholar who focuses on issues of race theories, African American experiences on college campuses, student development theories, campus environments, inclusion, and multicultural resources centers at higher education institutions. She has a variety of publications and was one of the first doctoral students to complete a dissertation that focused exclusively on Black culture centers entitled, “From Protest to Progress: An Examination of the Relevance, Relationships and Roles of Black Culture Centers.” In Campus Culture Centers in Higher Education Patton collaborates with many higher education scholars and faculty members to discuss various types of racial and ethnic culture centers in higher education, their overall effectiveness, relevance, and implications for improvement in relation to student retention and success. Diversity, inclusion and social justice have become prevalent issues on all college campuses, and this piece of literature gives a basic introduction for individuals unfamiliar with cultural resource centers. This book successfully highlights contributions of culture centers and suggestions for how centers can be reevaluated and structured more efficiently. For many faculty, administrators, and student affairs professionals unfamiliar with the missions and goals of culture centers, Patton’s text provides a concrete introduction and outline for the functionality of these resources and also offers recommendations and improvements for administrators managing multicultural centers.
Was Dr. Norton mad at the narrator after what had happened in the previous chapter?
The Criminal Justice System is made up of several different process law enforcement, judiciary, and corrections this system is where the accused individual are tried and punished for the crime they are charged with. The depiction of criminal justice system in throughout each process (police, courts, and correctional) has become ubiquitous on television today. Shows that give a visual of the arresting and investigation process (law enforcement) are the televisions shows “Cops” and “The First 48 Hours”. The show “Cops” is a television series that follows police officers, constables and sheriff deputies around during their patrol and other policing activity (Cops, n.d). Showing the officer enforcing the laws of the land, apprehend offenders, reducing and prevent crimes, maintain public order, provide emergency and related community services and more” (Schmalleger F., 2014). The “Cops” show conveys the initial stage of the law enforcement. The images or positive (in my opinion) when it comes to showing the actual community services the law enforcers provide. This allow police to become more integrated in to the communities. Reducing the amount of fear toward the particular criminal justice profession. It has change the outlook on policing in the communities and enhances the level of trust from the communities for law enforcement. This allows for a sufficient reduction and prevent crimes when law enforcement and the people of the community come together. “The First 48 Hour” is a show that shows the criminal justice process from the crime, arrest, to the investigation stages in the criminal justice process. This show follows detectives around from the state of their investigation (right after a crime occurs...
In the short story, “The Good Man Is Hard to Find” the grandmother describes a “good man” vaguely. The grandmother pertains the label “good” broadly, putting a shadow over the definition of a “good man” until it loses its meaning completely. She first applies it to Red Sammy after he furiously complains of the universal untrustworthiness of people. Red Sammy states, “Two fellers come in here last week, driving a Chrysler. It was an old beat-up car but it was a good one and these boys looked all right to me. Said they worked at the mill and you know I let them charge the gas they bought? Now why did I do that?” (1,045). The grandmother said he did this because he is “a good man.” She next relates the label “good” to the Misfit. After she identifies him, the grandmother asks, “You wouldn’t shoot a lady, would you?” (1,049). Even though he hates to admit it, The Misfit says, “I would hate to have to” (1,049). Because being a lady is such a meaningful part of what the grandmother believes as being ethical, the Misfit’s answer confirms to her that he does not share the same moral principles as she does. The grandmother begins to desperately call him a good man and that he comes from ...
...dly evil character, The Misfit, is able to help the grandmother to find grace makes him redeemable as well. Whatever the reason was for Flannery O’Connor to write A Good Man Is Hard To Find, it will forever be one of her best works as well as one of the best and most unusual short stories of all time.
Although, that does not matter, because he is leading his tribe carelessly. His actions were irresponsible and inattentive, which is not characteristics a leader should possess. However, it is said that it is completely normal for kids to break rules, especially when they are not around adults. An article about the mind’s of teenagers says, “If you have ever thought that the choices teenagers make are all about exploring and pushing limits, you are onto something. Experts believe that this tendency marks a necessary phase in teen development” (Mascarelli). Although, it is one’s choice on how to deal with their temptation of exploring. Ralph is about the same age as Jack, but he did not go savage. Point is, it is possible to go over the boundaries, without hurting anyone and going fully rogue. The same article states, “Adolescents are particularly sensitive and responsive to influence by friends, desires and emotions, researchers say. It’s one of the hallmarks of this stage in life. A major reason why teenagers often respond to those influences with irrational decisions is the presence of a brain chemical known as dopamine” (Mascarelli). No one became completely savage until Jack encouraged the boys to. Jack did not need influence from anyone to lose his humanity, it was in his nature to become ferocious.
One of Colleen Hoover’s talents is writing in a male’s perspective and by doing so she is able to display the main character Owen as flawed yet passionate. Owen is expressed as flawed for several reasons. When Owen was 16 years old he was in a car crash with his mother, father, and brother. Owen was driving then and had just recently received his licenses. He was going through in intersection when a car ran a red light and collided into them. That car crash killed his mother and brother and now all Owen can do is blame himself. He states, “ I carried a lot of guilt for a long time over that accident, even though I know my father didn’t blame me” (Hoover 216). Ever since the car crash Owen’s dad Callahan became weak. Callahan becomes addicted
...normal human being, this individual seems to have very few, if any, regrets about the whole situation. It can be argued that nearly every individual has some form of a conscience, or the ability to judge right from wrong, why then is it so difficult for some to display it? Perhaps harsh, sarcastic words and disrespect are the ways in which certain individuals display their grief, but if that is the case, can it even be called grief in the first place? By pushing away, or in this case getting rid of, someone who doesn’t seem to fit expectations, the issue at hand is fixed momentarily. However, it is evident that in the long run, nothing but strife has been accomplished, and nothing of actual value has been gained.